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The Three Stooges were among the most iconic and beloved comedy groups of the 1900s. While celebrated for their slapstick comedy, their impact during America's most challenging periods is often overlooked. These 10 facts shed light on their historical significance and the personal and professional struggles they faced.
10. The Era of the Great Depression
The Three Stooges gained prominence during the Great Depression, one of the most challenging periods in American history. As the nation and the world sank further into hardship, the Stooges brought laughter to the hopeless with their foolish antics, their connection to everyday people, and their determination to persevere despite economic struggles.
A common motif in the Stooges' performances was their critique of aristocracy and wealth, a theme that resonated in Depression-era cinema. Rather than showcasing luxurious lifestyles that contrasted sharply with viewers' realities, the Stooges ridiculed the affluent and their pretentious social environments.
The trio often targeted the upper class, humiliating them with pie-throwing antics and making them appear utterly ridiculous. This played a key role in boosting the spirits of disheartened Americans.
9. Misappropriated Earnings
Joe (“Curly Joe”) DeRita, the final member of the Stooges, became part of the group in 1958 and stayed for over ten years. In 1993, as DeRita lay gravely ill, the royalties he had consistently earned from merchandising for more than 25 years abruptly decreased.
DeRita’s wife, Jean, along with Larry Fine’s granddaughter, initiated legal action against Moe’s daughter and grandson, accusing them of withholding $5 million in profits. This sparked a heated and public dispute among the families, with DeRita and Fine seeking a court order to halt all financial transactions until Moe’s heirs explained the missing funds.
Adding a dramatic twist to the lawsuit, Bela Lugosi Jr.—son of the famous Hollywood actor Bela Lugosi—was brought in to represent DeRita and the Fine family. In the end, Moe’s grandson and daughter were held liable for breaching their contract and were mandated to pay $2.6 million.
8. Abrupt Departure
In December 1957, The Three Stooges were shocked when they were abruptly let go by Columbia Pictures. Despite 24 years of producing low-budget shorts for minimal pay, while their films generated millions for the studio, they received no farewell or acknowledgment.
The most devastating moment occurred weeks later when Moe attempted to bid farewell to studio executives. He was barred from entering the premises by a security guard due to not having the updated studio pass for that year.
When the Stooges departed, Columbia Pictures had a backlog of completed films ready for release, lasting another year and a half.
7. Exploitation and Avarice
Harry Cohn, the head of production and president at Columbia Pictures, once boasted that managing the studio was “more rewarding than being a pimp.” Despite his talent for creating successful films and building Columbia into a Hollywood powerhouse, he was notorious for his abrasive personality and enjoyed intimidating his staff. Even after Curly suffered several strokes, Cohn callously insisted he continue working, showing no concern for his health.
Cohn was not only excessively demanding of his actors and employees but also a skilled manipulator. He exploited the Stooges financially, ensuring they remained underpaid throughout their careers. When their films gained popularity on television, Cohn reaped millions in profits while the Stooges received nothing.
6. Excessive Brutality
While The Three Stooges are celebrated for their slapstick comedy, few are aware of the real-life violence that occurred during filming. The director of each short film was responsible for deciding the level of violence included in the production.
Director Jules White, in particular, showed little concern for the Stooges' safety, often pushing for excessive violence that included brutal and exaggerated gags. At White's direction, tools like mallets, scissors, and saws were frequently used to intensify the violent nature of scenes.
These harsh and reckless demands often resulted in injuries such as sprained ankles, broken ribs, fractures, and damaged teeth. Moe Howard, who once broke his nose during filming, noted that such injuries were a regular occurrence on set.
5. Hitler vs. The Stooges
During the 1930s, Adolf Hitler’s representatives exerted significant influence over Hollywood studios like Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox, and MGM. This led to the censorship of American films, as Nazi officials demanded an end to any criticism of Hitler’s regime. However, The Three Stooges were among the pioneers in film history to openly challenge and ridicule Hitler’s image.
Film historian Michael E. Birdwell notes that The Three Stooges and Columbia Pictures were undeterred by the U.S. policy of neutrality, which prohibited studios from creating anti-Nazi films. They bypassed this restriction because short films were subject to less scrutiny than full-length features.
As a result, their first film, “You Nazty Spy,” flew under the radar. This film mocked Hitler while also highlighting issues like book burnings, Nazi leadership, and concentration camps. It’s rumored that the trio earned a spot on Hitler’s extensive kill list, alongside figures like Charlie Chaplin and Jack Benny.
4. Indulgence in Food, Alcohol, and Women
Widely considered the most beloved Stooge, Curly wore his emotions openly and was excessively generous. He indulged heavily in alcohol, spending almost all his earnings on wine, automobiles, pets, and real estate.
Yet, his biggest vulnerability was women. Due to his deep-seated insecurities, he often found himself exploited in exchange for companionship. After an annulled marriage in his youth, Curly went through a series of relationships, interspersed with bouts of heavy drinking and overeating.
In 1945, he wed Marion Buxbaum, a divorced blonde with a young son. Their marriage was stormy, and Curly lavished her with expensive gifts like jewelry and fur coats in a futile effort to maintain her happiness. The relationship ended in a highly publicized and acrimonious divorce after just nine months.
Shortly after, Curly’s health deteriorated rapidly as he reverted to his old ways. His weight and blood pressure soared, causing retinal hemorrhages and eventually a stroke.
3. Curly’s Final Years
Curly’s life was undoubtedly the most heartbreaking among the Stooges. Betrayed by those he loved and trusted, and relying on constant binges to numb his pain, his final years were marked by a series of strokes that left him paralyzed and wheelchair-bound.
At 47, Curly was moved to a nursing home as his health worsened and his family could no longer meet his care needs. His mental decline made him difficult for the staff to manage, and his family was urged to place him in a psychiatric facility.
Moe firmly rejected the doctors’ advice, instead sending his brother to Baldy View Sanitarium in San Gabriel, California. This became Curly’s last residence, where he passed away alone in bed in January 1952 at the age of 48.
2. The Killing of The Stooges’ Creator
Ted Healy, the creator of The Three Stooges and one of the most prominent comedians of the 1920s and ’30s, is remembered by historians as a gifted improv performer with a unpredictable dual personality.
On December 20, 1937, Healy, heavily intoxicated, entered the Hollywood nightclub Trocadero, where he crossed paths with actor Wallace Beery and Pat DiCicco, a key associate of mobster Lucky Luciano. After a heated argument, the trio moved to the parking lot, where Healy was brutally assaulted.
Barely conscious, Healy called Shemp to recount how Beery, DiCicco, and an unknown third man had assaulted him. Shortly after, Healy slipped into a coma and passed away the next day. The police investigation was abruptly halted, and rumors suggest that film mogul Louis B. Mayer concealed the murder to shield his top star, Beery.
1. Larry Fine
It might come as a surprise to many that Larry Fine was a skilled classical violinist and pianist. However, he struggled with a severe gambling problem and irresponsible spending, which almost led him to financial ruin after his dismissal from Columbia Pictures in 1957.
Beyond his personal struggles, Larry’s life was filled with sorrow. As a child, he frequently visited hospitals due to acid burns on his arm, which resulted in lasting muscle damage. In November 1961, tragedy struck again when his 24-year-old son, Johnny, died in a car crash.
His greatest despair came six years later when his beloved wife, Mabel, passed away suddenly from a heart attack while the Stooges were touring. Three years after that, Larry suffered a severe stroke, which ended his career and left him wheelchair-bound in a nursing home, where he passed away in 1975.
